


Red Like Roses

by Phoenix_Feathers



Series: Red Like Roses: A Continuation Of Endgame [1]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Peter Parker Needs a Hug
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-28
Updated: 2019-04-28
Packaged: 2020-02-09 06:43:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,190
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18632896
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Phoenix_Feathers/pseuds/Phoenix_Feathers
Summary: !!!!!* ENDGAME SPOILERS *!!!!!Pepper invites Peter over to talk.





	Red Like Roses

**Author's Note:**

> So, this is post Endgame. I wrote this almost immediately after seeing the movie 'cause I needed it.  
> And yes, I did get the title idea from RWBY.

Red like roses, fills my head with dreams and finds me, always closer, to the emptiness and sadness that has come to take the place of you.

It were days like this that made life even harder than it already was - rain pouring down so hard it hurt, blinding bright lightning, and deafeningly loud thunder. Peter Parker was running through weather just like this, his heavy school backpack slowing him down a bit as he pulled his hood over his head. He glanced at the crumpled piece of paper in his hand and read the address written on it. 'Yep, this is the house,' he thought as he stared at the small log cabin in front of him.  
He tapped the door a few times once he reached the doorstep. Luckily, the porch had a small roof, shielding him from the downpour. 'Maybe she’s not home…' he thought as he turned away from the door.  
“Peter?” a gentle voice said as the door creaked open.  
Peter turned around. “Uh - ah - Yeah, it’s me. Hi Ms. Potts - er - Mrs. Stark.”  
“Oh, you’re all wet - come in.” Pepper said.  
“Uhm, a - are you sure? I’ll just get everything all wet…” his voice trailed off.  
CRACK!!  
A large flash of lightning flared across the sky. Peter jumped and stifled a yelp. “Y’know, I’ll come in,” he mumbled as Pepper smiled.  
Peter sat under a blanket on a couch in the Stark’s living room. Pepper had gone to the kitchen to get the both of them drinks. He pulled the blanket tighter around him as he thought of the battle a week ago from today. He shivered from both cold and the thought of watching his mentor die right in front of him.  
Pepper walked in and offered him a steaming cup of hot chocolate. “Thanks,” he said quietly. He took a small sip to warm up. “So why’d you ask me here?”  
Pepper sat down on the couch across from Peter. “You were close to him, weren’t you?” she asked him.  
Peter’s head snapped up. “Wh - what?!”  
“To Tony,” she continued. “I saw you with him as he…”  
“Died?” Peter finished. “Yeah I… I admired him.” he took another sip of his drink.  
Pepper sighed. “I know. I could tell.” She reached across the table between them and gently placed a hand on his shoulder. “I was just wondering how you’re holding up.”  
“I’m okay,” Peter whispered so quietly you almost couldn’t hear him.  
“Well you don’t sound ‘okay’ at all,” Pepper said. Her voice was strained, like she was holding back tears.  
“Alright, I’m dying inside,” he finally admitted. He squeezed his eyes shut. 'I sound so weak.'  
“We all are.” Pepper told him. “Everybody is really. Whether or not they cared that Tony Stark died. Everyone had someone they love come back from the dead.”  
Peter squirmed in his seat a little. This conversation was taking an uncomfortable turn. “H - how’s Morgan?” he inquired, hoping to change the subject a little.  
Pepper’s expression looked pained. “She’s still a little too young to comprehend the concept of ‘death.’”  
“Oh,” Peter frowned. It reminded him of how he was when his parents died. He didn’t fully understand what had happened to them until a few months later. “Where is she, anyway?”  
“I put her down for a nap,” Pepper replied. She noticed how Peter was shivering on and off, still chilled from his misadventure in the downpour. “What were you doing out in a storm like this?”  
“I had to walk here.” he said. “May was at work, so….”  
“Ah, I see,” Pepper mused. “You should be more careful, Peter. You probably caught a cold in all that rain.”  
Peter felt a lump in his throat. “That’s exactly something he would’ve said to me,” he whisper - growled. He sneezed, almost on cue with Pepper’s comment and felt his face heating up, blushing with embarrassment.  
Mr. Stark, we won --  
He felt a violent sob erupt from his chest, with huge tears seeping out of his eyes.  
Pepper lifted up his chin up so they were at eye level. “You’ll be alright, Peter,” she said. Her eyes were also wet. “You’re gonna be just fine.”  
“Okay,” he whispered. She sounded so much like Tony…  
“Yeah, okay,” Peter sneezed again.  
The two of them turned around as they heard tiny footsteps and creaking from the stairs.  
Morgan was staring at them. “Mommy, who’s that?” she asked innocently pointing at Peter.  
“Morgan, I thought you were tired!” Pepper exclaimed.  
“But I’m not anymore. Who’s that?” she asked again.  
Peter felt sad staring at Morgan. He remembered how terrible it was to lose his parents. How he’d cry himself asleep every night. Morgan was a bit younger than him when his parents died.  
“Hi - oh - uhhh… I’m Peter,” he blushed in embarrassment again again, this time at the fact that he was feeling socially awkward around a four - year - old.  
“Why are you in my house?” Morgan questioned further.  
Peter didn’t know what to say. His eyes were darting between Pepper and Morgan.  
“Morgan, Peter here was a good friend of your Daddy’s,” Pepper replied gesturing over at him. Peter sighed in relief that Pepper helped him out.  
“Daddy’s asleep, you know. He’s gonna be for a long time,” Morgan said. She really didn’t understand death.  
Peter felt tears welling up in his eyes again as he turned around. Seeing this brought back such painful memories, and he felt horrible that Morgan would have to grow up without a father. Pepper glanced over at him just in time. “Honey, how about we go back to bed?” she asked Morgan.  
“But I wanna play with Peter!” she whined.  
Pepper was walking over to her. “Morgan, I don’t know -”  
“No, actually, that’d be great.” he sniffled and failed a stifling a sob. He was wiping his eyes, only to have new tears take their place. He was glad to have his back turned to Pepper and Morgan right now.  
"But, first, a nap," Pepper reminded her.  
“Ok,” Morgan reluctantly agreed as Pepper took her up the stairs.  
Peter sneezed once again as he laid down and curled up on the couch. Stupid things had been scaring him lately - like the thunder from outside, or simple social interactions. It was Pepper’s talk who finally made him realize that it was a bad stress response. A really bad stress response. Even entering the house of his dead mentor had scared him - being alone with his wife and child.  
But it wasn’t that bad.  
Pepper was surprisingly helpful. He never really believed anyone when they’d told him that talking to someone would make him feel better until now.  
He was exhausted all of a sudden. Despite his eyelids feeling heavy, he did his best to stay conscious. He didn’t want to experience the nightmares he’d had for the past week. About the aliens,  
and Tony’s funeral.  
And, of course, his death.  
Finally, he drifted off.  
But no dreams followed. 

Every nightmare just discloses, it’s your blood that’s red like roses, and no matter what I do nothing ever takes the  
Place  
Of  
You.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed!!!! UwU


End file.
